Cypress

Coach: Diane Pohl (first year)

1992: 25-5, 7-3 in league; won the 5-A Southern Section championship with a 1-0 victory over Simi Valley; took second in the Empire League behind Los Alamitos.

Key returners: Nikki Espriv, Jr., catcher, has great physical talent for the position; Julie Adams, So., first base, hit three home runs and drove in 16 runs, batted .270, might pitch some; Christa Saindon, Jr., second base/infield, defensive skills and speed boost the infield. All were second team all-league choices.

Key newcomers: Varsity team still undecided, but freshmen Tynel Humphrys and Kim Lumsdaine (pitching) and senior Christy Kay (utility) have promise.

Outlook: The most glaring absence from the Centurions’ 1993 lineup is 1992 5-A CIF Player of the Year Monica Jiminez, the Utah-bound senior who recently told Pohl she is sitting out the season for personal reasons. Shortstop Azure Caladrella (personal reasons) and Nina Welsh (back surgery) also are missing, but with five returning starters, Pohl, a 1988 Cypress graduate, believes the Centurions will be in the thick of things.